The Cleveland Browns changed coaching staffs, let players walk in free agency and just added about a dozen new faces to the defense, so what’s it going to look like for camp?
The Cleveland Browns let players like Tashaun Gipson, Craig Robertson and Johnson Bademosi leave in free agency. They released Karlos Dansby. Then, along with a few small free agency signings and the 2016 NFL Draft, the team added enough players to build an entire new defense. The question is, now under head coach Hue Jackson and defensive coordinator Ray Horton, what’s this defense going to look like?
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Based on the comments made by the team as well as just projecting them based on where they are most effective, the following is what I came up with:
Where players are on the depth chart isn’t terribly important currently. For now, what position they are playing and what the position group looks like is the most important takeaway is, in their base look. Horton runs 3-4 defense that can often resemble a 4-3 over look, so this seems the most logical starting point as the Browns prepare for camp.
There is one position that is not included on this chart, because it’s not a base defensive position; slot corner. That would include K’Waun Williams, fifth round draft pick Trey Caldwell, and quite possibly Charles Gaines, who was a sixth round selection last year. Former Browns defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil had Gaines play outside, which is why he’s also there but he seems like a better fit inside. Jordan Poyer also has some experience in the slot and contributed there last year.
When the Browns start training camp, it will be easier to get a handle on what they want to do as far as subpackages. Any number of defensive linemen and pass rushers could end up with their hand in the dirt trying to get after the quarterback in what is likely to be some kind of 4-2-5 look.
This chart also doesn’t include every single free agent they have signed. There are a few defensive backs in particular that the Browns have signed and aren’t listed purely from a numbers standpoint. Players like Tracy Howard and Sean Baker were signed and will get their shot to compete, but from a sheer space standpoint, they are not included.
Armonty Bryant is notably absent. His legal situation hasn’t been resolved yet, but it is going to trial as he and former Brown De’Ante Saunders pled not guilty to felony drug charges stemming from his arrest on Christmas Day. Bryant is suspended for the first four games of 2016. Between the drafting of Emmanuel Ogbah and the emphasis Hue Jackson has put on players acting a certain way with the notable example being Johnny Manziel, Bryant’s days with the Browns appear numbered.
The Browns can keep Bryant as an insurance policy if someone gets hurt or if a team wants to trade for Bryant, who is entering the last year of his contract. More than likely, there will come a point when the Browns simply release him, deciding his talent isn’t worth the headache. Any snap Bryant would get would likely be coming from Ogbah too.
The Browns like Ogbah as a potential three-down linebacker and they should. He’s a phenomenal athlete, but he is still unrefined. His role is likely going to be restricted to just attacking the quarterback for the moment the way Bryant was last year and Kruger was in 2014, when he recorded 11 sacks.
The Browns will probably move Ogbah around, let him attack from a defensive end position in an even front and they could certainly line up formations where the Browns have Des Bryant and Xavier Cooper on the inside with Kruger and Ogbah on the outside to attack the quarterback.
Carl Nassb is going to be interesting because they want him to play the 5-tech defensive end, but he could also line up in an even front as a defensive end the way he did at Penn State or line up as a 3-tech to attack from the inside. That last part might be a bit of an adjustment for him, but if he can succeed there, he really increases his versatility.
Joe Schobert is going to move to the inside, because that’s really the only place for him to go. Maybe he’ll do some occasional outside stuff, but he is terrific in space and is a good blitzer that can also work on stunts. It seems as though Schobert is still getting sold short, being regarded by the Browns website as basically a special teams player this year.
There’s no question that Schobert will contribute on special teams and should be very good there, taking over and hopefully improving on Craig Robertson, but Schobert’s game and knack for making plays may see him in spots to make plays in Horton’s defense too. If Chris Kirksey were to get hurt, Schobert appears to be the next man up to play the WILL.
Derrick Kindred played free safety at TCU. So did Ibraheim Campbell at Northwestern. Both players played on college defensive schemes that had both strong and free basically with the exact same responsibilities and they were just able to cover more ground with less help on their side.
They could play free safety for the Browns, but that’s not what they do best. They both thrive in coming downhill and attacking the football on the run and occasionally on the blitz. Both also show some ability in man coverage. The Browns have better options at free safety like Rahim Moore that can play a more traditional center field role if the Browns run Cover-1.
Kindred has ability but Campbell was a more complete player coming out of college and obviously has a year in the NFL under his belt already. The areas where Campbell really stands out are his ability to be a reliable, technical tackler and his instincts. He is an incredibly smart football player that sees the field well. Kindred certainly flashes the ability to get there and may have better ball skills but he’s got some room to make up in the other areas.
The Browns claimed Don Jones off of waivers in 2015. An athletically gifted strong safety, most of his playing time in the NFL has been as a special teams player. Obviously the team has more invested in Kindred, but if the Browns keep a fifth safety, Jones might be that guy for Chris Tabor while Kindred supplants him on the depth chart.
The most hotly contested position in training camp this year is likely to be the starting corner spot opposite Joe Haden, assuming he is able to come back fully healthy and focused. Tramon Williams was effective early in the year before it appeared as though his distaste for the previous coaching staff gave way to apathy. Going into camp, he stands out as the guy who will get the first rep across from Haden. After that, it’s up for grabs.
Although his lack of effort toward the end of the season was frustrating to watch, Williams is a big advocate for young players and he wants these young corners to step up, earn their playing time and the money that comes with that, so he will compete and still support younger players. Williams is also 33 and this is probably going to be his last season in the NFL as he enters the last year of his contract.
Pierre Desir would be my favorite to grab ahold of the job from Williams and maintain it for the long run. While many are critical of Desir’s performance in 2015, he actually had some really good tape. A notable example is how he fared against A.J. Green, when he really didn’t give up anything short of an underneath pass that was quickly tackled.
The biggest issue for Desir was finding the ball when it was in the air. There were times when he got turned around or was in a decent spot to make a play and just lost it, allowing for a completion. The amount of Cover-0 the Browns ran benefited no one and just made O’Neil look incompetent.
The Browns have left the door for Justin Gilbert to be an adult and professional football player. It’s up to him if he wants to go through it and make the most of his opportunity. If Gilbert doesn’t come in with the mindet the coaching staff is looking for, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he’s an early cut and they move on to other options.
There’s not much point spending too much time on a player this group didn’t select if he’s not showing the attitude and work ethic this coaching staff wants. It also has the added benefit of allowing this coaching staff to send the message they don’t play favorites and if guys don’t make the most of their opportunity, they will move onto someone that does.
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This may factor into the Browns decision to take a flyer on Jamar Taylor in a swap of seventh round picks with the Miami Dolphins. Taylor is a terrific athlete and has played 33 games in three seasons after being a second round pick in 2013, but he has regressed as a player from his rookie year until now. The hope is that the change of scenery and new coaching staff will help Taylor. The Browns have no skin in the game on Taylor, so if he doesn’t step up and look promising, they can just release him.
Of the under the radar free agent signings, Justin Tuggle might have the best shot to make the final roster. One of two NFL legacies the Browns have signed along with Jackson Jeffcoat (Jesse Tuggle played for the Atlanta Falcons and Jim Jeffcoat played for the Dallas Cowboys) Tuggle’s been in the NFL for three years with the Houston Texans with experience playing special teams and brings more athleticism to the table than Scooby Wright.
At the very least, Tuggle should provide competition for Tank Carder. If Tuggle can be a decent linebacker and play special teams, that would put him ahead of Carder. Carder is a solid special teams player but he’s been woeful anytime he’s actually had to step on the field to play linebacker. The one advantage Carder has is if Armageddon were unleashed upon the Earth, Chris Tabor would survive and continue to be the Browns special teams coach and Carder has four years vested with him.
Kyle Rose of West Virginia may have the best shot to land on the final 53-man roster out of the undrafted free agents the Browns signed on defense. Rose played nose for the Mountaineers and his straight line speed is underwhelming, but his change of direction skills are promising and he’s been an effective run stopper. He could move out to defensive and if the Browns keep seven defensive linemen, he might stick as a run stopping specialist with some versatility.
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The Browns and specifically Horton could have a different view of where guys are playing than I do and I’m fully prepared to be loud wrong as always, but based on the info to this point, this seems how things should look at least starting out in camp in terms of their base defense. It will be just as interesting to see how the subpackages develop for this team as the Browns really try to lock down how they want to attack opposing quarterbacks.